There will be times throughout your career that you will find yourself wanting to negotiate a salary increase.

This could be because you have been in the role for some time and believe you deserve a salary increase or it could be because you are approaching an annual appraisal and need to prepare. Either way, there are a number of reasons why you should approach salary negotiations throughout your career.

If you are looking to progress within your organisation and work towards a promotion, you must put a lot of preparation and time into securing it. Many employers will operate a 6 month or yearly appraisal process where you will have the opportunity to assess your job role, comment on your performance and discuss salary.

We’ve already discussed how making an after interview follow-up call can increase your chances of employment. But you can also write a follow-up letter – often these will be read by your interviewer and they will automatically see your dedication and commitment. It will also demonstrate your eagerness for the role.

There are a variety of ways to find a job. You can search online, check out job boards, use a recruitment agency or check the local newspapers. But another fantastic way of getting your name noticed and meeting potential employers is by attending a career fair. As long as you turn up with a professional resume and dress to impress, you’re ready to go!

It doesn’t happen to everyone, but every now and then you may be wondering if you are working in the right industry. It’s never too late to change your employer and you may find yourself wanting to explore different industries and different career paths for a variety of reasons.

Your cover letter is crucial when sending out either speculative or specific emails to recruiters.

We have already mentioned that gaining good work experience is an effective way of boosting your resume. But volunteering outside of working hours and taking part in extra-curricular activities is also a great way of adding depth to your resume.

By volunteering outside of working hours it demonstrates you are both a passionate and dedicated individual. It’s also good to show an employer that you have several “strings to your bow” and helps you learn new skills that may later prove valuable for your career. Depending on the type of volunteering you do, it can also improve your chances of employment.

We have mentioned before that doing work experience or an internship is a fantastic way of boosting your knowledge and resume.

There are various internships available, depending on what industry and job role you want to go in to. It’s crucial that you choose the right role because you can add this to your professional resume when applying for paid roles.

Although internships are slightly different to every day working life there are number of things you should consider when working in the role. If you impress, you could end up with a job offer.

Following a job interview many employers will take their time to assess your application and interview, but some will offer you the position on the spot. It is crucial you handle this job offer effectively. After all, you could look very unprofessional if you immediately accept the job and days later decide it’s not right for you.

A good interviewee will be polite – a great interviewee will be polite and ask questions! Generally speaking (unless you were very impressed by the organisation and it is your dream job) you should ask for time to consider the offer. This will not affect your relationship with the employer – it will actually increase their respect and trust in you as a potential member of staff.

So, you’ve written a professional resume, written a cover letter, attended the job interview and been called back for a second interview. It’s at this stage that you are very likely to be in the final running for the position and, in many cases, will be offered the job. But what do you if you’ve had second thoughts?

It’s unlikely that you’ll want to accept every job that you interview for. Remember, as much as an interview is about the employer finding out about you, it’s also your opportunity to find out about the company and whether you see yourself working there.

After creating a resume by using our professional resume templates, you should find your chances of interview are very high. But what happens after the interview stage?

It’s important to remember employers will see hundreds of professional resumes every week so it’s vital that you stand out from the crowd. One tool that enables you to do this is the interview thank you note.